The BBC is very upset that an AI startup might be using its content to train a model. So upset, in fact, that it’s threatening legal action. According to The Guardian, Auntie Beeb sent a formal letter to Perplexity AI for allegedly downloading freely available on-the-web BBC articles. Hmm, it is something that’s been happening on the web well before Google had colored letters.
But here’s the other shoe: they didn’t go after Google. Not a whisper. Not a raised eyebrow. Like the NY Times before them, not even a passive-aggressive tweet at Elon could get the BBC to man-up and take on Google.
You know, the same Google that’s been scraping content for decades, summarizing it into featured snippets, AI Overviews, zero-click answers, and suspiciously missing website links on Maps? The one turning publishers into unpaid interns for Gemini. Ya, that Google – and Bobs your uncle.
But sure, let’s all rage at the AI startup that doesn’t have trillion-dollar lawyers on speed dial. This isn’t about “protecting journalism” or “content rights.” It’s a classic case of “who can we bully today?“
Let’s call it what it is: legacy media doing legacy media things – it’s punching down because punching up is hard. If SEOs took this logic to heart, we’d all be suing Google every time they cannibalized our CTR with some slapdash AI SOT (slop on top) that pretends to “summarize” our content but actually just there to steals the clicks and drive ad clicks.
Where’s the outrage when it matters? Oh, right. It disappears when it’s a “partner” in the digital ad duopoly.
To SEOs watching this unfold: don’t miss the irony. The real threat isn’t the startup that scraped your About page – it’s the platform that turned your 10% CTR into 0.5% overnight and told you to thank them for the impressions.
This BBC move isn’t about content. It’s about control. And sadly, it’s also about choosing the path of least resistance.” target=”_blank”>Not a raised eyebrow. Like the NY Times before them, not even a passive-aggressive tweet at Elon could get the BBC to man-up and take on Google.
You know, the same Google that’s been scraping content for decades, summarizing it into featured snippets, AI Overviews, zero-click answers, and suspiciously missing website links on Maps? The one turning publishers into unpaid interns for Gemini. Ya, that Google – and Bobs your uncle.
But sure, let’s all rage at the AI startup that doesn’t have trillion-dollar lawyers on speed dial. This isn’t about “protecting journalism” or “content rights.” It’s a classic case of “who can we bully today?“
Let’s call it what it is: legacy media doing legacy media things – it’s punching down because punching up is hard. If SEOs took this logic to heart, we’d all be suing Google every time they cannibalized our CTR with some slapdash AI SOT (slop on top) that pretends to “summarize” our content but actually just there to steals the clicks and drive ad clicks.
Where’s the outrage when it matters? Oh, right. It disappears when it’s a “partner” in the digital ad duopoly.
To SEOs watching this unfold: don’t miss the irony. The real threat isn’t the startup that scraped your About page – it’s the platform that turned your 10% CTR into 0.5% overnight and told you to thank them for the impressions.
This BBC move isn’t about content. It’s about control. And sadly, it’s also about choosing the path of least resistance.
As the CEO and founder of Pubcon and WebmasterWorld., Brett Tabke has been instrumental in shaping the landscape of online marketing and search engine optimization. His journey in the computer industry has spanned over three decades and has made him a pioneering force behind digital evolution. Full Bio
Visit Pubcon.com